


A story of me and you

by AshAndSnow



Series: Start With This [18]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Artist Loki, Developing Relationship, Fame, Fandom conventions, First Dates, First Meetings, Fluff, Happy Ending, Implied Proposal, M/M, Meet-Cute, Secret Relationship, actor Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:15:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24640726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshAndSnow/pseuds/AshAndSnow
Summary: Loki’s a comic book artist. Tony’s a well known actor. Both secret admirerers of each other, the last thing they expected was to run into each other at a convention.(Prompt: Outline six sections, each containing three things that must happen in the story)
Relationships: Loki/Tony Stark
Series: Start With This [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1317602
Comments: 16
Kudos: 138





	A story of me and you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Leikio](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leikio/gifts).



> For Leikio, who really wanted artist Loki and actor Tony to meet at a fan convention, fanboy over each other, and go on a date. I hope this lives up to expectations, and happy happy birthday to you!

i.

Loki was by no means new to this game; fan conventions tended to be the same.

Sit, sign, small talk, sip some water, sneak a bite of a snack if the line was quiet.

And he did like a lot of aspects of it. He enjoyed meetings fans, loved when people got excited because they admired his work. He took great pleasure in the fact that so many people cared enough about his work to come talk to him.

He was less fond of other aspects. Like sitting in the same spot for hours, forced to smile and interact with hoardes of people, when really he liked quiet and solitude best of all. And while some fans provided stimulating conversation and respected the length of the line, others took forever to ask the most ridiculous questions.

Loki loved his job, but working at a convention was a mixed bag.

Still, he smiled pleasantly as the next guy came up; bit of an odd outfit, sunglasses and hat indoors. But Loki dismissed it quickly; it was a fan convention, people came dressed as all sorts of characters, from the wildly popular to the more obscure. This was really nothing at all.

”Hello,” he greeted. ”Enjoying the convention?”

”Hi, ah, yeah,” the man in front of him said, his voice oddly familiar. ”Bit of a lot, really. But, you know, nice to connect with other fans.”

As the man put a comic book on the table – the art style familiar, of course, since Loki had drawn it, his name in neat font at the top declaring this for all to see – Loki couldn’t help but notice that he seemed… nervous? A bit twitchy, looking over his shoulder, a bit drawn in on himself. Loki tried to make his smile a tad more friendly. ”Well, I hope you’re getting something out of it. Who can I make this out to?”

”Ah,” the man said, lowering his voice. ”Okay, please don’t freak out, because I love your work and I’ve been looking forward to meeting you for quite some time. So just… play it cool, okay?”

One delicate eyebrow rose in an unimpressed arch, but he nodded all the same. ”Alright then. I’m cool. What’s your name?”

”Tony Stark.”  
  
Loki was so. so. Not cool.

”Tony Stark?” he hissed, managing to keep his voice down, though he couldn’t quite contain his enthusiasm and surprise. ”You’re _the_ Tony Stark?”

The man – Tony Stark – sighed and removed his glasses, revealing those deep, soulful, brown eyes he was so famous for.

They were even better in person.

Loki grinned. ”I love your work,” he said, signing Tony’s comic book and pushing it back across the table. ”I wanted to go to your panel later, but it’s impossible to get a ticket.”  
  
”Really?”

”Really,” Loki confirmed. With less grace and stealth than he would have liked, he lifted his leg and tugged on his pant leg, revealing socks with a design inspired by the latest superhero flick Stark had starred in. ”See?”

Stark barked out a laugh, then fished something out of his pocket and put it on the table. ”Alright, then. From me to you, as a thank you for the autograph. It’s a backstage pass, but it should let you experience the panel somewhat anyway.

Loki lit up. ”You’d do this for me?”

Stark shrugged and slipped his sunglasses back on. ”You kiddin’? _Loki Laufeyson_ , backstage, at my show? Hell yeah I’ll make it happen. I’ll see you later.”  
  
Loki didn’t stop grinning until Tony was long gone and the girl who’d been in line behind him had to clear her throat quite dramatically to catch his attention.

He couldn’t really find it in himself to be embarrassed by it.

ii.

Loki wasn’t ashamed to admit to himself that he’d always been attracted to Tony Stark.

And why should he be? The man was gorgeous. Thick head of hair, that sharp goatee, those incredibly eyes, that showstopping smile.

Yeah… he was hot.

And seeing him on stage, from his spot out in the wings, that only confirmed it. Stark was charming the pants off every single member of the audience, every single quip both funny and smart. He wasn’t alone, and yet he completely stole the spotlight. Not a single other member of the panel could hold a candle to Tony.

So when Stark bounded off the stage after the end of the panel, all smiles and charm, asking Loki ”so what did you think?”, Loki didn’t struggle to be honest.

”You were great,” he promised. ”You’re amazing in front of an audience.”  
  
Stark’s grin widened, but then is faded a bit. Softened into something smaller and warmer. ”And when it’s just the two of us?”  
  
Loki felt himself grow warm. They hadn’t spoken much; they’d chatted at Loki’s signing earlier, and had a conversation just before Tony went out to do the panel. It wasn’t much, but Loki liked what he’d seen so far.

”I don’t think I have quite enough information to make a proper call, but my preliminary opinion is quite positive.”  
  
Once more, Stark’s smile bloomed into something even brighter; looking at it was like basking in the sun. ”Well, I’m all about making sure your opinion is as well informed as can be. How about we swap numbers and arrange a date later this week?”

Loki barely had the time to register the magnitude of what was happening before he grinned right back, fishing his phone out of his pocket. ”Deal.”

iii.

On the agreed upon date of the, well, date, Loki met Tony in a small but incredibly cozy restaurant. It was somewhat out of the way, not overly full, littered with round tables for larger groups and little booths where couples could hide away together.

Predictably, Tony had made sure they’d be seated in the backmost booth; it was intimate and they could get close and talk to each other at a normal volume without being overheard or gawked at.

”I hope you don’t mind,” Tony said, helping Loki out of his jacket. ”I’d rather have you to myself tonight.”  
  
Despite the implications of that, Loki couldn’t help but smile a bit at the gentlemanly gesture. He ducked his head to hide it. ”Afraid the fans will come whisk me away?” he teased. Tony probably couldn’t go anywhere without risk of recognition, but Loki was only really known by his name – and even then, only to those with an interest in comics and graphic novels. One didn’t have to be a nerd to know of Tony Stark by far.

Tony’s laugh was exactly what Loki had hoped for; a bit surprised, but clearly relieving some tension and nerves, and it’s every bit as beautiful as a siren song.

”Yeah,” he grinned. ”Something like that.”

*  
  


”So I threw the rubber duck at him, and it knocked his wig right off! Pepper was mortified!”

Tony spoke with great animation, his hands as expressive as that handsome, award-winning face. He could have said anything at all, and Loki would have been interested.

  
Fortunately, what he did say, was absolutely hilarious and pulled a laugh from Loki with ease; Tony countered it with a pleased, proud grin.

”What did he say to that?”

”Well, obviously everyone knew it was a wig, but it was sort of a secret that we all knew. He refused to admit how obvious he was being, we all knew what was going on. So he just picked it up and put it back on. But at this point, he was sweating and the honey was everywhere, so it did this weird thing where it seemed to slide and then stick to the side of his face. And we all just had to pretend we didn’t notice.”

Once more, Loki laughed, hard and heartily.

”You know,” he said, once he’d managed to let his laughter die somewhat down. ”This reminds me of a prank I once pulled on my brother.”

Tony’s eyes glinted with mischief. ”Oh, now you have to tell me. You can’t say that and not share.”

”Well,” Loki said, drawing out the sound, as if thinking it over. ”If I must.”  
  
”You damn well must.”

”Alright, so we must have been about 13 when this happened, and it involves my brother’s darling tool box, the local bogeyman down the street, and our mother’s old wedding dress.”

*  
By the time they’d finished their dessert, Tony started to grow serious.

”Listen,” he said, scrubbing his hand over his face. ”I like you. A lot,” he confessed. ”You’re smart and handsome and funny, and it’s like I look at you and time decides to start sprinting away from me, because it knows I won’t be able to tear my attention from you long enough to notice how fast it is passing me by.”

There was no mistaking this for anything other than a compliment. Yet Loki could hear the underlying ’but’.

Still, he tried to offer Tony a reassuring smile. ”I feel the same way,” he said softly. ”Forgive me if it’s forward of me, but I wish we didn’t have to part so soon.”  
  
Tony’s mouth tilted up in the corner, clearly pleased but still not soothed. More was weighing him down than just the question of reciprocity.

”Yeah. That’s, I’m glad. I am. But...” Tony made a face. ”I’m a very public figure. And, no offense, you’re amazing at your work and you know what fans can be like, but walking down the street when you’re as famous as I---”

Loki cut him off. ”I get it. No offense taken.”  
  
The corner of Tony’s mouth tilted up in that same little not-quite smile again. ”Right. Okay. Great. So hopefully, you’ll understand if I say I want to keep this on the down low. At least for a while, while we get to know each other more. If you wanna see me again, because I sure as hell would like to see you again.”

Loki reached out and put his hand on Tony’s, stilling the man’s rambles.

”I’d love to.”  
  
This time, Tony’s smile was real and full and brightens the whole room.

iv.

Six months had passed, and they had been the happiest of Loki’s life.

They had gone on dates as regularly as they could get away with, given Tony’s schedule and their need to keep things private. They’d met each other’s friends and families, they had become intimate with some of each other’s best and worst traits, and they were deeply, deeply in love.

Everything was wonderful and running smoothly, until the rumors started swirling.

”Wait,” Loki frowned, nudging Tony with his foot. They were on Loki’s couch, indulging in Chinese food and good conversation, when something in the background noise provided by the TV caught his attention. ”Turn that up.”  
  


Tony rose a brow but didn’t argue; he just grabbed the remote and did as told.

”---been seen with the same tall, darkhaired man on several occasions, according to Twitter. Since Tony Stark has a reputation as a bit of a playboy, it came as quite a surprise when a few eagle-eyed fans started to connect the dots, based on various tweets and pictures of the actor and his presumed new beau.”

The woman on the screen kept talking, but Loki was tuning it out now, instead focusing on some blurry images of him and Tony popping up on the screen.

Fuck. This was exactly what they’d been working so hard to avoid.

Frown deepening, Loki looked to Tony. ”What are we going to do?” he asked. He knew how much Tony valued his privacy, and Loki would hate nothing more than to lose this because it had been too delicate to withstand the pressure from the public.

Tony seemed to ponder it for a moment, before he nodded to himself. ”Don’t worry, Lokes. I’ll take care of it.”  
  
It didn’t remove the frown from Loki’s face. But if Tony said he could handle it, Loki would leave it be for now.

”If you’re sure.”

Tony offered him a smile. ”When it comes to you, I couldn’t be more certain.”

v.

A week later, Loki hadn’t noticed much of a difference in the rumor mill.

He didn’t actively go looking for it, and he was doing his best to not come across gossip by happenstance, but the whispers weren’t lost on him. The rumor mill was happily running, and people were happily throwing names around.

If Loki’s was among them, he didn’t know. But it wasn’t an impossibility.

But he couldn’t avoid the celebrity news forever, and tonight, he was facing them head on. Tony had an interview on one of the hottest late night talk shows this evening. And, like a good boyfriend, Loki was of course watching.

And, like a nervous boyfriend, he was not the least bit surprised when the host leaned a bit across her desk, a conspiratorial glint in her eye, and asked ”so tell me what we’re all really dying to hear. The man you’ve been seen with lately. It’s all anyone can talk about. Who is he? What’s the deal?”

Damn it all.

Except… Tony didn’t look the least bit fazed. If anything, he looked perfectly content and relaxed.

Loki narrowed his eyes. His boyfriend was up to something, he just knew it.

”Aw, you’re not getting me so easily,” Tony said. ”At least tell me what dirt you have on me before I confess to everything.”

The crowd laughed and the host grinned; fortunately, she didn’t seem to take offense. If anything, she looked like she was enjoying the back and forth.

”Well, the current name on everyone’s lips is the famed comic artist, Loki Laufeyson.”

Loki knew he shouldn’t have had a sip of his tea at that very second. He desperately tried to stop his coughing and wipe up the spilt tea, while never taking his eyes off the screen, straining to hear every sound from his TV.

”What a coincidence. I’m in a loving relationship with that guy,” Tony said with ease.

On the screen, the crowd went wild. Somewhere behind him, his phone started to ping with notifications.

Loki himself ignored it all in favour of gaping at the screen.

Then, he shifted into a soft, warm, private smile.

vi.

”Can you believe it’s been three years to the day that we met at this very convention?” Loki asked, adjusting Tony’s tie for him. Not unlike the first day they met, they were backstage at a panel Tony would have to be on in just fifteen minutes.

”’Course I can,” Tony said with that cocky grin Loki had come to love so much. ”I have an eye for quality. I knew you’d fit the bill before I even met you. Your art speaks for itself.”  
  


Loki tugged a bit at Tony’s tie in a playful attempt to get him for that comment. Tony just grinned wider.

”I suppose I just can’t help but think, since this is the anniversary of our first meeting,” Loki admitted. ”It’s been so long, and still it flew by in the blink of an eye.”  
  
”Yeah,” Tony acknowledged. ”It’s been good though. Right?”

He didn’t sound uncertain, but Loki knew when his boyfriend was fishing for a bit of affirmation. ”The best,” he promised.

”So, you wouldn’t mind three more years, right?”  
  
”On the contrary, I’d rather say I should be quite disappointed if you deny me that.”  
  
Tony grinned. ”And three more after that?”  
  
”And three more after that.”

”And---”

”Tony,” Loki cut his beloved off, amused, yet his smile had softened. ”However many years you tack on, the answer remains yes.”  
  
Tony let out a breath. ”Good. Great. Awesome. Because I was kind of considering asking you for a whole lot more than just three more years on our anniversary.”

Loki’s brow rose. ”Oh?”  
  
”Yep. But it’s a secret. You can’t tell my boyfriend.”  
  
”Ah, of course. I shall keep this to myself. But… for what it’s worth, darling, I should feel quite confident that you will get a yes.”  
  
The bright grin and mind-melting kiss that followed were worth everything to Loki.


End file.
